X-ray target cooling

Abstract

A rotatable anode for an X-ray tube is provided including a hollow rotatable anode wheel having two circular faces. One of the circular faces has a bevelled edge for a target region. A circular baffle is situated concentrically inside the hollow anode wheel. The baffle has means for imparting a tangential velocity to a liquid. The outer perimeter of the circular baffle is spaced away from the interior of the anode wheel. Means for supplying cooling liquid to the central portion of one side of the baffle is provided as well as means for removing cooling liquid from the other side of the baffle. Structural means are provided for rotating the baffle and the anode wheel at the same angular velocity.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A rotatable anode for an X-ray tube comprising: a hollow rotatable anode wheel having two circular faces, one of said faces having a bevelled edge for a target region;   a circular baffle having first and second sides situated concentrically inside said hollow anode wheel, said circular baffle having means for imparting a tangential velocity to a liquid on either side of the baffle, the outer perimeter of said circular baffle spaced away from the interior of said anode wheel said second side of said circular baffle having means situated thereon for creating operation between a forced and a free vortex condition in liquid in the vicinity of the disc periphery;   means for supplying cooling liquid to the central portion of the first side of said baffle;   means for removing cooling liquid from the central portion of the second side of said baffle, said second side of said baffle adjacent to the face of said hollow rotatable anode wheel having the bevelled edge; and   structural means for rotating said baffle when said anode wheel is being rotated.   
     
     
       2. The rotatable anode of claim 1 wherein said baffle is situated closer to the anode wheel face having the bevelled edge than to the other anode wheel face. 
     
     
       3. A rotatable anode for an X-ray tube comprising; a hollow rotatable anode wheel having two circular faces, one of said faces having a bevelled edge for a target region;   a circular baffle having first and second sides situated concentrically inside said hollow anode wheel, said circular baffle having means for imparting a tangential velocity to a liquid on either side of the baffle including radially extending vanes on either side of said circular baffle, the outer perimeter of said circular baffle spaced away from the interior of said anode wheel;   means for supplying cooling liquid to the central portion of the first side of said baffle;   means for removing cooling liquid from the central portion of the second side of said baffle, said second side of said baffle adjacent to the face of said hollow rotatable anode wheel having the bevelled edge; and   structural means for rotating said baffle when said anode wheel is being rotated.   
     
     
       4. The rotatable anode of claim 3 further comprising means for creating operation between a forced and free vortex condition on the second side of the circular baffle wherein the vanes extend a shorter perpendicular distance from the baffle on the second side of the baffle in the vicinity of the bevelled edge of the rotatable anode than do vanes situated elsewhere on the second side of the baffle. 
     
     
       5. A rotatable anode for an X-ray tube comprising: a hollow rotatable anode wheel having two circular faces, one of said faces having a bevelled edge for a target region, the other of said faces defining a central aperture;   a first hollow shaft secured to said other face around said central aperture, the interior of said shaft in flow communication with the interior of said anode wheel;   a circular baffle having a central aperture situated concentrically inside said hollow anode, said circular baffle having a plurality of vanes on either side of said baffle and secured to said baffle for imparting a tangential velocity to a cooling fluid, the outer perimeter of said circular baffle spaced away from the interior of said anode wheel;   a second hollow shaft situated inside said first shaft, said second shaft secured to said baffle around said central aperture of said baffle; and   structural means for rotating said baffle at the same speed as said anode wheel.   
     
     
       6. The rotatable anode of claim 5, wherein said structural means is secured between said first and second shafts. 
     
     
       7. The rotatable anode of claim 5, wherein said vanes are spaced away from the interior of said anode wheel. 
     
     
       8. The rotatable anode of claim 5, wherein said vanes extend radially along the circular baffle and extend perpendicular therefrom, said vanes equally spaced circumferentially from one another. 
     
     
       9. The rotatable anode of claim 8 wherein said vanes on said baffle situated in close proximity to the bevelled edge of said anode wheel extend a shorter perpendicular distance from the baffle side, than do the vanes elsewhere on the baffle, thereby creating a region where the radial pressure variations can be adjusted. 
     
     
       10. The rotatable anode of claim 5 wherein the portion of the vanes situated near the center of the baffle on at least one side of the baffle curve in the direction of anode rotation so that the relative velocity of the coolant can be increased.